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News of Note

Animal rights groups slam Canada-China seal deal
Canada, which failed in a public-relations campaign to convince Europe that the seal hunt is humane, will also flop in its “insulting” attempt to find consumers in China, animal rights groups said yesterday. Chinese animal welfare groups have accused the Canadian government of “racist bias” and “cultural imperialism” for selling their country seal products that have been banned by the European Union.

Conspiracies Don’t Kill Birds. People, However, Do.
At the beginning of this month when about 5,000 red-winged blackbirds fell from the sky in one night in Arkansas, biologists were called on to put a damper on public speculation about pesticides and secret military tests by reminding everyone how many birds there are and how many die. They often do so as a result of human activity, but in far more mundane and dispiriting ways than conspiracy buffs might imagine.

Animals suffering in Brisbane flood crisis
It is not just people who have been affected by floods swamping Queensland – animals too are suffering terribly. Domestic pets, wild animals and commercial livestock have all been caught up in the disaster.

Penguins Harmed by Tracking Bands, Study Finds
Bands attached to penguins’ flippers have helped scientists track their movement and migration for 50 years. The small identification tags are visible to researchers through binoculars from 100 feet away. Now, a new study reports that the seemingly innocuous bands have a significant effect on penguin mortality.

Bill would make torturing dog or cat felony offense
A Mississippi legislator has introduced a bill that aims to make cruelty against cats and dogs a felony in the state. The measure, which seeks to impose up to a $10,000 fine and a maximum five-year prison term on first-time violators, would not apply to hunting, farming and other practices. Similar legislation failed to advance in the state last year.

Sit. Stay. Parse. Good Girl!
Chaser, a border collie who lives in Spartanburg, S.C., has the largest vocabulary of any known dog. She knows 1,022 nouns, a record that displays unexpected depths of the canine mind and may help explain how children acquire language.

Bill sheds light on equine industry issues
The introduction of a state bill that could pave the way for the reopening of horse processing plants in Nebraska has led to increased awareness about some of the issues currently plaguing the equine industry. The struggling economy has left many people unable to afford the luxury of owning a horse. The result is that horse owners are often left at a crossroads – find the horses a new home or have them euthanized.

Utah bill would permit shooting feral animals
A Utah legislator wants to change the state’s animal cruelty law to make it legal to shoot and kill feral animals. Rep. Curt Oda, R-Clearfield, doesn’t think feral animals should be protected by a state law that makes animal cruelty a felony. Under House Bill 210, the humane killing of feral animals, pests and rodents would be exempt from that law.

Chef bows out of Winterlude over foie gras fiasco
A famous Quebec chef has bowed out of Ottawa’s winter festival in defiant defence of one of his staple dishes: foie gras. The Winterlude furore stems from an ongoing debate over the ancient delicacy, now increasingly threatened by calls for it to be banned because of its alleged cruelty to animals. Organizers say they and the event sponsors faced instant pressure by animal-rights activists over the potential use of foie gras on Picard’s menu.

Joint Replacements Keep Dogs in the Running
Joint replacement has helped larger working dogs return to hunting, aiding the blind and assisting in search-and-rescue missions and other police activities, not to mention relieving the pain of beloved pets. Although hip-replacement surgery for bigger dogs has been performed since the mid-1970s, micro-hip replacement for cats and dogs weighing 6 to 30 pounds began in the last five years.

Walgreen to bring fresh food to “food deserts”
Walgreen Co plans to add more fresh food to about 400 stores in areas where access to produce and other goods is scarce, as it tries to position itself as a one-stop shop for health and daily needs. The drugstore chain has already added fresh fruit, vegetables, meat and a variety of other fare to 10 stores in parts of Chicago where grocery stores are hard to find.

Calendar

March2019

If you wish to have an agenda item added to the NARN Board Meeting, please email info@narn.org at least a day in advance. You can also send us a message on Facebook anytime or even the day of the meeting and we'll do our best to get back to you.

Animal rights lawyer Adam Karp and No Bones Beach Club are sponsoring a screening of the film Dominion, followed by a presentation of various legal issues the animal rights community faces when it comes to trying to help animals raised for food.
To get your free ticket to attend and to learn more, please see the Facebook event page:
https://www.facebook.com/events/2090832197805855/

Highline is hosting a fundraiser Bingo event for Precious Life Animal Sanctuary
Precious Life is a non-profit organization dedicated to rescuing and providing a safe home for abused, neglected, abandoned farm and companion animals, teaching humane education and advocating against practices that perpetuate animal suffering.

See the Facebook event page for more information
https://www.facebook.com/events/801845666842391/

If you cannot make this event please considering donating directly to them www.preciouslifeanimalsanctuary.org/donate.html

The Center for Biological Diversity is hosting events around the country to help educate people on how to be a better advocate for wolves. The Seattle Wild for Wolves Rendezvous is in Northgate area of Seattle on March 5 from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. Connect with other people who loves wolves, learn about the current threats, write comments, and plan next steps. Please join when you can during the time window. RSVP here

Join the Puget Sound Vegans Meet-up for a discussion on co-housing
Imagine living in a community where your neighbors share your values on compassion, sustainability, and everyone eats a plant-based diet.
There's a lot happening in the cohousing world, and we're going to take a look at creating a vegan cohousing community in the Seattle area.

Check out this website for a wealth of information:
cohousing.org.

For more information and to RSVP, see the Meet-up page
https://www.meetup.com/Puget-Sound-Vegans/events/259438857/

Join PNW Vegan Singles member Michael Haug at his dance studio for an enjoyable and unique experience! Flow Studios teaches a physical language, learning the science of physical communication and partnership dancing. This empowers you to be more original and expressive with your movement, and develop skills to dance well to all styles of music, with anybody. It feels good and it is fun!

We will have a 1 hour “Intro to Flow” dance lesson, followed by an hour dance mixer. Feel free to bring vegan friendly goodies and come to have a good time, because you will! You may also invite up to two guests. This is the perfect opportunity to experience an amazing activity with like minded folks.

Wear light shoes that you are comfortable moving in and dress comfortably.

You know you want to go vegan or recently made the switch, but you have all these questions.
Wouldn't it be nice if you could just ask them in a safe, supportive environment, and have knowledgeable and caring vegans give straight-forward answers?
This is your chance!
Come out to our monthly Go Vegan 101 Workshop, and we'll address any questions you have about going – and staying – vegan. Everything from ethics, environmental issues, and of course nutrition.
We will provide plenty of resources, mentorship program, and of course, vegan snacks! These workshops are casual and open to everyone. Stay the whole time, or drop in as you are able to, and bring a friend!
This month we will be in the small meeting room of the Shoreline Library.

Join the Humane Society of the United States and fellow animal lovers for Humane Lobby Day on Wednesday, March 20.

This once-a-year opportunity is your chance to learn about animal welfare bills going through Washington's legislature, support key animal protection issues and meet with your legislators to urge them to improve the quality of life for animals in your state.

The University of Washington's Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) will be meeting to discuss various research protocols (study designs). This is your chance to voice your opinion about the research on animals that goes on at the UW. Please come and speak for the animals!
The meetings are held at the South Campus Center; Room #342 (in between San Juan Road & Columbia Road); behind the Magnuson Health Sciences Center (1925 N.E. Pacific St) )
http://www.washington.edu/maps/

You can also check out their calendar here (copy & paste link into your browser)
http://oaw.washington.edu/iacuc-meeting-schedule/

This month we are going to check out Luna Azul! They serve Latin cuisine and have a large variety of delicious vegan options. They have been really upping their vegan game lately, so let's show them how much we appreciate it.
Check out their menu here:
https://lunaazulseattle.wordpress.com/menu-2/

The Social Discussion Group is a casual event. Drinkers and non-drinkers are welcome, and you don't have to be vegetarian to participate. We hope you'll join us! Questions? Contact rachel[at]narn[dot]org